How do I move Lightroom pics to another computer?

cambsno

cambsno

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Simon
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I have 100 or so pics imported and edited in lightroom in RAW format. I wish to 'copy and paste' them from my laptop to desktop - as they are both Macs hopefully wirelessly bit not fussed if i have to use cd.

I dont want to export them as jpg and want to make sure all editing is kept, so how should I export them?
 
If you can see the machines from each other then simply drag and drop - but ensure you do this from within Lightroom. Lightroom will then move the images to the new destination for you and will also have updated the catalogue and can still reference any adjustments you have made to the RAW file.
 
Thanks, I have done this with other files too so that seems simple enough.
 
cambsno said:
Thanks, I have done this with other files too so that seems simple enough.
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It is, LR makes it easy yeah :)

Just remember to ensure you use Lightroom to move your image files and not whatever the native OS is. LR will them maintain the reference to the file and the associated XMP containing all the edits you have made.
 
Erm, not really follow the answer MM. Drag and drop in LR? Wouldn't you need to add a folder from the destination machine first? Even then LR will simply move the file to the other machine, it won't create an entry for it in a catalog for the other machine :nono:
 
For me the definitive answer is either:

Store catalogs and raw files on an external drive which you can move around as you wish or

In LR select the images/folder you wish to move and File > Export as Catalog from the menu which includes an option to take the raw files with it. You select the destination (which can be on the network) and LR creates a brand new catalog there with the files and all the edits preserved, just open it like you would any other catalog :thumbs:
 
^What he said, but the main issue is that Lightroom isn't really designed to be used on two computers.

If it is just those 100 images, make sure they have all the meta data written to them (or their xmp files if you have left them in their native format). Then just import the RAW files to the other catalog, as long as you have kept the metadata with the files or they are already embedded they will appear in Lightroom as they did on your laptop.
 
pxl8 said:
Erm, not really follow the answer MM. Drag and drop in LR? Wouldn't you need to add a folder from the destination machine first? Even then LR will simply move the file to the other machine, it won't create an entry for it in a catalog for the other machine :nono:
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Hi pxl8

Hoping I understood the requirement!

If machine (2) is seen by machine (1) [both Macs] on a home network, then Machine(1) will see the drives on machine (2). If within LR, you drag the folder from machine(1) to wherever you want it on machine(2), this will move all the referenced files off machine(1) onto the destination directory on machine(2) and at the same time LR WILL reference and update them in its catalogue.

If I have misunderstood the requirement and LR was to be running on another machine (i.e. 2 instances of LR... one on machine(1) and one on machine(2) then yes you are absolutely right. If you have just one instance of LR running, and you use the drives on machine(2) for storage (in exactly the same manner as you would with an external drive) then this will work fine. LR will only maintain one catalogue.

Hope that clarifies things.:thumbs:
 
Can I not export as original (or DNG?) onto my other computer, and drop into LR there?
 
Having had a few problems with Lightroom where it crashes or reverts to the default I now back up my catalogue every time I open it (sometimes I close and reopen it just to do a save as I no longer trust the commands from within LR)

I would copy your catalogue onto an external drive/new machine along with the folders then open LR on the new machine and tell it to find the missing folders - you might need to do a back up on it first and then put your existing catalogue where the new one has just been formed.

I am not technically minded, I find workarounds when I have a problem and they might not be the most straightforward but they usually work - eventually :D
 
theMusicMan said:
If machine (2) is seen by machine (1) [both Macs] on a home network, then Machine(1) will see the drives on machine (2). If within LR, you drag the folder from machine(1) to wherever you want it on machine(2), this will move all the referenced files off machine(1) onto the destination directory on machine(2) and at the same time LR WILL reference and update them in its catalogue.
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Does LR on the Mac show you all folders on a machine automatically then? That's why I wondered about adding the folder in LR before being able to drag & drop the files - on the PC you only see folders you've imported or added within LR so before you can move files around you need to have the folder available. Gawd, I'm making that sound complicated :nuts:
 
cambsno said:
Can I not export as original (or DNG?) onto my other computer, and drop into LR there?
Click to expand...

Yes you can. This would be the simplest way to do it if you are not planning on maintaining two separate copies on Lightroom with syncronised catalogs.
 
pxl8 said:
Does LR on the Mac show you all folders on a machine automatically then? That's why I wondered about adding the folder in LR before being able to drag & drop the files - on the PC you only see folders you've imported or added within LR so before you can move files around you need to have the folder available. Gawd, I'm making that sound complicated :nuts:
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Aha I see now... no, I don't think it does, you're right. But if you drag a folder to the drive, the files would be copied as-is and the directory would be created.
 
Craikeybaby said:
Yes you can. This would be the simplest way to do it if you are not planning on maintaining two separate copies on Lightroom with syncronised catalogs.
Click to expand...

No, what i do is keep all my RAW files in LR on my iMac, once I have copied these from macbook I will delete them.
 
Cool, it is as simple as dragging across the DNGs then.

You won't even need a CD.
 
The three best ways to move images with metadata attached in Lightroom:

1) Export all files as DNG with all edit data attached and the original RAW file embeded and then import on the lightroom on the other computer.

2) Save all your edit data out to XMP side car files (Option+S from memory) and then copy the folder with both RAW files and XMP data over to the other computer (in Finder) and then import in Lightroom on the other computer

3) Export the selected files out to another cataloge in another location (make sure you tick the include original files option) and then copy that exported catalogue and associated RAW files over to the other computer and import catalogue in Lightroom.

There are two main things that you need to remember with any of these three operations:
- None of your keyword list is exported with the files (though the keywards themselves are exported) so you will need to make sure the keyword list is sycronised across the two Lightroom catalogues.
- Your smart collections and collections are not exported with the images or included in the XMP files.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
3) Export the selected files out to another cataloge in another location (make sure you tick the include original files option) and then copy that exported catalogue and associated RAW files over to the other computer and import catalogue in Lightroom..
Click to expand...

LR is quite capable of creating the catalogue in the desired location, no need to export and then move the files again ;)
 
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